This invention relates to a special purpose comb and more particularly to a comb of the type which can separate groups or strands of hair upon the human head such that the separated strand groups may be highlighted, streaked or frosted with special solutions such as bleach, dye and the like. While conventional combs can be utilized to separate hair strands into separate groups, it is time consuming and thus requires extra effort by the hairdresser and no provision with such conventional combs is made to assist in holding the thus separated strands in the thus separated or isolated condition except by actually holding them. Inasmuch as the hairdresser is already busy manipulating shields, foils and the like utilized in the application of bleach or-other coloring material to the separated hair, it would be an advantage to provide a specialized comb structure which not only separates the hair strands into groups but provides means by which they can at least e temporarily held in such position.
The present applicant is aware of the presence of literature describing some specialty comb structures, namely, those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,999 issued Aug. 3, 1993 and U. S. Pat. No. 2,915,071 issued Dec. 1, 1959. An additional comb structure specifically utilized to control the amount of bleach or frosting applied to hair with a comb is a structure shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,818,917 issued Jun. 25, 1974. The first above-mentioned patents utilize fixed positioned barbed teeth to trap hair strands as they move between such teeth underneath the barbs thereof and then by appropriate twisting or other comb manipulation enables strand separation. Thus such described devices would require a twisting manipulation of the comb where such may not be desirable and further may not always hold the separated hair strands from upward movement once separated.
Accordingly, it remains a desirable feature of such combs to more positively restrain the separated hair strands from upward movement and one in which no unusual manipulative movements to the comb is necessary in order to achieve hair strand separation.
An additional desirable feature and object of the present invention is to accomplish the above objectives while utilizing a comb of normal physical characteristics and which is easy to use and of relatively low cost and sturdy construction.
These and other objects of the present invention are accomplished by a comb for separating strands of hair to implement and facilitate highlighting, streaking or frosting, comprising an elongated body with a handle at one end and a plurality of longitudinally separated major teeth outwardly projecting from the body at the other end thereof, said major teeth being separated by major grooves in turn each having an outer open end and a closed base portion vertically separated from said open end for receipt of hair strands therein, said body further having hair strand separating means mounted for longitudinal movement with respect to said body and said major grooves from a first non-operating position to a second operating position wherein said hair separating means spans one or more of said major grooves at a point removed from the base thereof wherein some hair strands positioned in said major grooves are in turn further separated by said separating means.
Other objects, features and advantages of the invention shall become apparent as the description thereof proceeds when considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.